Like most people, you are probably familiar with details regarding your background such as your country of origin, race, and ethnicity. However, chances are you have gotten your information from parents and grandparents and while these are reliable sources, details are usually limited at best. Over the past few years those wanting to learn more details about their ancestry have turned to DNA testing.
Historically, DNA tests have been prohibitive to most people due to the time they take to complete and costs. This has changed drastically with modern testing being readily available, cheaper, and less time-consuming.
Feedback for this testing has been extremely positive with most participants being more than satisfied with the results received. If you are looking to obtain more information about your background and ancestry but do not know the best way to go about it, below are the benefits of pursuing DNA testing.
1. Discover locations of origin
You may have lived in one area of the world for your whole life, but the reality is most people have ancestry from other countries. Therefore, while you may be a citizen of one country, you more than likely have origins in another and most people do not know where a large majority of their ancestors come from.
Among other things, DNA testing can inform you of which countries your ancestors come from. Many people have grandparents who have told stories of emigrating from other, foreign parts of the world. DNA tests are able to pinpoint what regions of the identified country your ancestors likely came from. If you are unsure of your ancestor’s country of origin, most companies that perform the testing are able to give you a breakdown by percentage of where they came from based on markers identified in the test that you provided.
2. Discover new relatives
You received DNA from both of your parents, meaning your family tree immediately splits off into 2 branches. While this is pretty self-explanatory, there is more information to be discovered within these 2 branches and this can be done with a DNA test.
Companies that perform the DNA tests have millions of participants. This means that they can compare your test with others and come up with a profile of your ancestors and existing relatives based on common identifiers and best matches. Companies usually give the option of choosing to have results posted for viewing online. Therefore, if you choose to do so, relatives that you did not know even existed can find you by matching their profile with yours or you can view other profiles and match yours with theirs.
3. Discover ethnicities
If you reside in North America, chances are your ancestry could include relatives from Europe that founded the United States and Canada. If you reside in other parts of the world, historical events have caused people to become displaced and flee from their countries of origin. Consequently, even if you are knowledgeable about your background, there could still be some information you are unaware of.
DNA ancestry tests are able to break down your ethnicity accurately. They are able to provide profiles of up to 30 different regions and ethnicities sometimes to intervals as low as 0.1 percent. The tests can be surprising and fun as they can turn up many different surprises regarding your ethnic background with some even informing people of indigenous heritage that they were unaware of beforehand.
Many companies that perform the DNA test provide the kits on their website. The tests consists of a saliva sample meaning once you receive it, you can take a quick mouth swab, seal it up as instructed, and send it back to the company for testing in no time at all. Results are usually provided within 6 to 8 weeks after you send the kit back, meaning you will not have to wait too long to receive answers regarding your ancestry.
